O.C. BUSINESS PLUS : ORANGE COUNTY BRIEFLY : Sports Memorabilia Dealer Guilty of Fraud
A Newport Beach sports memorabilia dealer was found guilty Tuesday of defrauding collectors by selling thousands of dollars’ worth of goods bearing the forged autographs of athletes.
Robert M. Austin, 42, was convicted of eight counts of mail fraud by a federal jury in Chicago. Sentencing was set for Dec. 10. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Witnesses against Austin included Anthony Alyinovich, one of 11 people who had pleaded guilty earlier in the federal government’s Operation Foul Ball crackdown on sports memorabilia forging.
Alyinovich, of Chicago, acknowledged that he was the boss of a staff of forgers who signed the names of Michael Jordan and other big-time sports luminaries to jerseys, basketballs and other sports products.
Other stars whose phony signatures ended up on items included Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.
Austin, an owner of Overtime Prowear Inc., insisted that he had done nothing wrong and had not realized the items Alyinovich sold him were forgeries.
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